I just don't get what the Penguins are doing with Jeffrey. The excuse last year was that he was never healthy, which can be understood to some extent. However, when the injury bug hit the Pens last year and Jeffrey got a chance to play consistently he scored 4 goals in a 12 game stretch including a big goal against Philly. Before the injury in the 2010/11 season he put up 7 goals in 25 games as a rookie and was heralded as one of the pens best up and coming players. this is a player that scored this goal in overtime against boston, which was a pretty special play and very skilled goal

this is a guy that minimally has shown he has potential to score goals and has skill. yet, for some reason its almost as if the pens are forcing tangradi into a top 6 role - when he has shown absolutely zero offensive skill at the nhl level. mind you tangradi had 1 goal in has last 17 games for wbs yet somehow he is going to come to the nhl and be an asset on the 2nd line. not to mention the numerous chances he's gotten in the past and failed miserably with.

yeah, i know jeffrey is more of a natural center but he does and has played wing. i'm just baffled at how this guy has been used last year and this year in camp thus far. he was playing on the fifth line early in this abbreviated camp, but today he was centering the fourth so perhaps he'll get a chance.

canaan wrote:Throw Jeffrey on the 4th line and see what his stat line is for 40 games. That argument is so played out.

I believe that Jeffrey did start on the 3rd or 4th line. He outplayed those minutes and got moved up. Crazy idea, letting players earn their way. Sports terrorism.

if a player is built to be a net front presence and doesnt have a skillset to broaden out into grinding 4th line roles, its a miscast and wont work. if you have a kid with above average speed in that role, he is gonna look better. its not rocket science, cupcake.

canaan wrote:Throw Jeffrey on the 4th line and see what his stat line is for 40 games. That argument is so played out.

I believe that Jeffrey did start on the 3rd or 4th line. He outplayed those minutes and got moved up. Crazy idea, letting players earn their way. Sports terrorism.

if a player is built to be a net front presence and doesnt have a skillset to broaden out into grinding 4th line roles, its a miscast and wont work. if you have a kid with above average speed in that role, he is gonna look better. its not rocket science, cupcake.

Kinda like when Morosov was a 3rd or 4th liner, dude couldn't thrive in thoes checking line roles. Of course he couldn't score either so he couldn't play in top 6 role either.

canaan wrote:Throw Jeffrey on the 4th line and see what his stat line is for 40 games. That argument is so played out.

I believe that Jeffrey did start on the 3rd or 4th line. He outplayed those minutes and got moved up. Crazy idea, letting players earn their way. Sports terrorism.

if a player is built to be a net front presence and doesnt have a skillset to broaden out into grinding 4th line roles, its a miscast and wont work. if you have a kid with above average speed in that role, he is gonna look better. its not rocket science, cupcake.

If a player is build to stand in front of the net(which Tangradi hasn't shown himself to be good at at any level), but can't do anything else, he's built for the pp and 4th line minutes. If he's a power forward and can cut it on the top lines, he's cut out for the bottom lines as well. Big guys are more suited to working their way up from the bottom lines than finesse players, without question. What makes them good on the top lines is identical to what makes them good on the bottom lines, they can physically impose themself to create space. The difference between Ryan Malone and Mike Rupp is that Malone had the hands to advance himself.

Looks like Bylsma like his two way play and he's been the 4th line center most of camp, hasn't he? I like Vitale's grit and tenacity but sometimes you need smarts and a little more skill. Jeffrey fills that role nicely. I wouldn'd be shocked though to see him and Lovejoy traded for some AHL depth or late picks if they decide they want to keep Despres and Bennett up.

I totally agree with the OP. Not saying Jeffrey is a great option for the top six but he should have at least been given a look. But maybe that says more about my lack of belief in Tangradi. Hope I'm wrong, I really do but to me Tangradi looks like a complete dud. I'll be surprised if he lasts more than 2 games on the Malkin line because I think he will drag down that line.

Jeffrey is not a fringe NHLer, he also spells his name the way it is pronounced. And yes, I don't think he deserves to be assigned to the top lines, and certainly shouldn't be playing with Crosby, but maybe a shot on the second line would be allowable. Agreed, to me he would be the favorite because he has a little NHL experience and is the least bad option.

Last edited by Idoit40fans on Thu Jan 17, 2013 10:52 am, edited 1 time in total.

Jeffrey's role is going to be as a utility player for the time being. He'll have to work his up the lineup (as he did a couple years ago) to earn a permanent spot. That's fine...he's got the skill set to do it. So long as he's not the default healthy scratch for too long.

Blysma will play him alongside Malkin for a few shifts whenever he dresses... That'll be his opportunity to make it difficult to pull him off that line.

Froggy wrote:Jeffery is a fringe NHLer. Not sure what people see in him that has them clamoring to see him skate with the best player in the world

He scored some big goals during that stretch before his injury, some of them from the 4th line. It showed a knack for having a "big game" attitude. That along with his decent hands, speed, size, and awareness makes seem like a guy who could have a permanent spot in this league not so dissimilar from Max Talbot.